The first real life changing moment in my life was loosing my father to cancer when I was very young. This is a situation that I still learn from today, but as a young girl, I learned that no matter the situation, God is with you and will not leave you. Thankfully, I have a Mom who directed me to take my sadness to Christ and rely on Him for comfort and peace. Through this situation, I also learned some of the goodness and grace of God as He provided me with a Daddy who loves me as his own. My mom gave me a memory book in which she included the words to an old hymn which has become my "go to" song in difficult times. The words to "Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right" have proven to be a comfort to me many times. Sovereign Grace Music has a beautiful arrangement of this song that gets played over and over again in my car.
Another life changing moment occurred when my family lived in Greenville. I was 11 years old and had just heard a sermon by Mr. Dan Johnson. After the sermon, he took time to talk and pray with me, and I became a child of God. The time in Greenville was a wonderful time of friendships and my life being full of many missionaries and mission-minded Christians. That is something that I think has cultivated the love of missions/ ministry that I have today.
Now, we fast forward through several years. At 19, I went through some trials that God used to grow me in Him. He placed me in the right place at the right time with the right people. I was struggling with relationships and ended up at a Campus Crusade for Christ conference. You see, Debbie Jones and Jackie Kendall had written a book called "Lady in Waiting". Jackie Kendall was one of the speakers at the conference. I got the book, and it's teachings have greatly impacted my life. The book is based on the story of Ruth, and it's all about finding your satisfaction in Jesus Christ - not relationships with others. I have several quotes from this book that I love, but one is, "Anything other than a love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of how good that thing may be, will bring discouragement and disillusionment." Even though today I am married with 2 children, I still go back to this book because it focuses on your heart.
Belize was a life changing adventure for me, but I talked about that in my last post.
When I returned from Belize, my life got busy. I entered the working world as a nurse, I got married, my husband and I worked together to build a house, we had 2 children, and eventually I became a stay at home/ homeschooling mom. We stayed active and busy in the church, but in the fall of 2012, I hit a slump. You see, there are times in my life that I have struggled with depression. This was one of those times, and it was as bad as hit had been. A time where you feel a dark cloud is over you , but you try to put on a happy face when you go out so others don't know your struggles.
Thankfully, despite falling into my slump- I knew Who to cry out to for help. December was coming, and I have a love/ hate relationship with December. I love December because of Christmas- celebrating the birth of Christ, Christmas decorations and lights, and my birthday. I hate December because my father died on Christmas Eve, and despite the fact that it has been over 20 years, you can bet there will be moments when I revert back to that child who lost her father until my husband graciously points me back to reality. So my thought this past fall was, "If I am depressed now, December is going to be really, really bad." Little did I know that God was working on another life changing moment.
In November, my mom emailed me a link about doing a Jesse Tree for Advent. She had found the idea and a Jesse Tree Advent Devotional by Ann Voskamp. I had never heard of Ann Voskamp or a Jesse Tree, but I needed this so I dove in. God used this to encourage me and get my mind off of myself and start thinking of and doing things for others. My December was the best one that I have had in quite some time. This was just the beginning though. Little did I know that Ann Voskamp is the author of a New York Times Bestseller. My mom gave me her book "One Thousand Gifts" for Christmas. The encouragement and teachings in this book are LIFE CHANGING. Voskamp encourages you to find joy in living of life of eucharisteo- thanksgiving. Thanking God for the gifts He gives because each moment He gives is a gift. She encourages you to keep a gratitude journal consciously numbering and writing down God's gifts to you each day and thanking God as you write. I can honestly say, it changes your perspective when you actively seek to thank God. Ann Voskamp is an answer to my prayers as her encouragement speaks directly to my heart. Six months later and 847 gifts written in my journal, I am striving daily to find joy in actively thanking God for His gifts. If you are in need of encouragement from a gracious and compassionate person, please visit the online journal of Ann Voskamp here.
The purpose of this blog is so we may be encouraged together. Please feel free to share any life changing moments and books, songs, or verses that God has used to encourage you in this walk of life. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, "
2 Corinthians 13: 14.
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